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14-Year-Old Willa Pearson Makes A-League History

11/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Willa Pearson became the youngest A-League player at 14 years 312 days in Sydney FC's 2-2 draw with Melbourne City, surpassing Ischia Brooking.
She played the full match and marked Holly McNamara, preventing scoring.
Pearson expressed gratitude for the opportunity and acknowledged the challenges.
Ante Juric praised her maturity, saying age is irrelevant if a player is good enough.
The match opened the 2025-26 A-League season at Leichhardt Oval.

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Story summary

Willa Pearson became the youngest A-League player at 14 years 312 days in Sydney FC's 2-2 draw with Melbourne City, surpassing Ischia Brooking.
She played the full match and marked Holly McNamara, preventing scoring.
Pearson expressed gratitude for the opportunity and acknowledged the challenges.
Ante Juric praised her maturity, saying age is irrelevant if a player is good enough.
The match opened the 2025-26 A-League season at Leichhardt Oval.